NETGEAR is aware of a growing number of phone and online scams. To learn how to stay safe click here.
Forum Discussion
Solved
Thinking of getting an Orbi but worried...
Hi,
I would like to set up a mesh WiFi network, but keep my existing Router for a large number of LAN connections.
My set-up is a modem (input via FTTP), linked to a router (Asus RT-AX88U), and I'd like to get three Orbis just for WiFi, all in Access Point mode. I tend to have about 50 devices connected through WiFi, and 20 through LAN.
Reading up on this there are conflicting stories about whether or not this is possible - with some posts claiming you need at least one Orbi in router mode. If this is true, then I'll pass.
There are a number of issues specific to the UK regarding PPPoE, and of course I want to avoid double NAT.
This is really a question for a Netgear pre-sales support, but this is not offered by Netgear. Any help anyone could provide would be very gratefully received!
Many thanks,
Jason
You can do that.
I'm running a similar setup right now but with an RAX200 and not a Asus.
You might have misunderstood that you just need an Orbi router. Many think you can just use the satellites as access points but they need a router to coordinate/control them. The router has access point mode and is easy to put into it.
8 Replies
You can do that.
I'm running a similar setup right now but with an RAX200 and not a Asus.
You might have misunderstood that you just need an Orbi router. Many think you can just use the satellites as access points but they need a router to coordinate/control them. The router has access point mode and is easy to put into it.
Right. This is totally doable. Like the OP, my main concern was wifi coverage while keeping my own router (pfSense box). I got the ORBI 20 which came with the router unit and 2 satellites. I put the RBR20 into AP mode and then added the 2 satellites. Works perfectly now but I DID have an issue with the wifi cutting out which I resolved by removing one of the satellites. The satellite was not defective but apparently for the size of my house, 3 AP units was too much and caused outages due to oversaturation or something?? Anyway, I tried playing around with settings and then read of an end user with the same problem who removed a satellite to clear up the problem. It worked for me as well. My house is 2700sqft with an open floor plan and 3 AP units were too much for the space. Happily running the RBR20 and (1) RBS20 now with good coverage and no outages. Iâll keep the unused RBS20 for a replacement or if we move into a larger house đ
Same for me, my RBK50 +RBS20 is in AP mode behind a NG router working has my main host router. Mixed 30 devices connected to the Orbi and host router. Works fine.
SadToGo wrote:Hi,
I would like to set up a mesh WiFi network, but keep my existing Router for a large number of LAN connections.
My set-up is a modem (input via FTTP), linked to a router (Asus RT-AX88U), and I'd like to get three Orbis just for WiFi, all in Access Point mode. I tend to have about 50 devices connected through WiFi, and 20 through LAN.
Reading up on this there are conflicting stories about whether or not this is possible - with some posts claiming you need at least one Orbi in router mode. If this is true, then I'll pass.
There are a number of issues specific to the UK regarding PPPoE, and of course I want to avoid double NAT.
This is really a question for a Netgear pre-sales support, but this is not offered by Netgear. Any help anyone could provide would be very gratefully received!
Many thanks,
Jason
Many thanks for your quick replies. I think I'll give it a go!
Let us know how it works out for you.
Just closing the loop... All set up and working a treat! Currently very happy as I get good reception, and >100M BPS everywhere on WiFi, and all my LAN set-up is unaffected. In particular by NAS drive, which I set a manual IP for, is accessable with no changes.
Went for the RBK53 with two satellites in the end. I wasn't sure I would need both satellites as my house is around 3,000 sq feet, but I'm glad I did as I needed both to get full coverage - probably because my house is quite long and thin, and there are brick walls in some places.
Set-up, as ever with network stuff, I found to be a little fiddly but not too bad. I set them up first in normal router mode, updated all the firmware and set passwords etc, and then switched it to "Access Point" mode when I was sure everything was working well . Sometimes the app worked first time when setting up the satellite, sometimes not - perhaps because I tried only using one satellite first as a test and it was expecting two. A bit of perseverance and doing the same thing a couple of times solved my initial satellite connection issues.
The dedicated radio working between the satellites seems to make a real difference. I was at the edge of WiFi reception in one room, getting only 10-20 MBPS. I installed the second satellite there, and hey presto, up to 200 MBPS.
Early days, but the system seems stable. We had a network outage in the middle of the night, and a couple of laptops had to be restated to re-connect to the WiFi again, but other than that it's been completly stable. A big improvement from my previous set-up.
Many thanks again for your responses.
